Electric-power truck



Sept. 4, 192s. 1,683,287

W. H. COBURN ET AL ELECTRIC POWER TRUCK Filed Sept. 29, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0 i n J? I I m 2 wa /0 g [n'uenmn Z VZ/Z 6206x4772 6. K26771 4 Sept. 4, 1928.

w. H. COBURN ET AL ELECTRI C POWER TRUCK Filed Sept. 29, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 {D/U D U [3 m 0. m.

Invenpons 7W7. 009x77, 6. ff 1am Attorn y Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

UNITE smrs WILLIAM ia. ocean-n nnnorrhR-Lr s K IERNAN, or noneliiirow vgwi sr viiaieinrn, assrenons or ONE-THIRD 'ro ERNEST H. GILBERT, or, MQRGANTOWN, 'WEST VI5R- GINIA.

ELECTRIC-POWER 'rRtT'o'K.

Application filed September 2 9., i927. S e rial l fe."2 22,5919.

This invention relates to a power truck constructed to supply electric power. em-

The truck is particularly? intended to be used in the system of mining shown and described in our application designated by Serial No. 20$,Ql1, filed by us jointly under date of JulyQ, 1927, and'havii'ig reference to what is 'kiio'w'nafs a concentrated pocket sys tem ofattackingand retreating long-wall.

In this system of mining, considerable 'difiiculty is experienced in conducting an electric power to the various machines operating upon the face of the block of coal;

jUsu'ally, there is a main power supply cablein the main heading. \Vires are attached to themain cableand extended along the various auxiliary courses or entrances leading to the face of the coal blocks being attacked. otherwise suspended from the wall of the These wires are usually hung or auxiliary course.

In retreating the power supply wires'are cut from time to time and simply rolled up and placed in some convenient point to be re-used. In a short time however, this wire becomes practically useless and is merely classed as junk.

Briefly, what we aim to do is to provide a self-propelled truck which is equipped with a reel on which the power conducting cable is wound, and to attach this cable to the main supply cable in the main heading or entry. The truck, under its own power is then driven up the auxiliary entry during which time, the cable is unreeled and carried to a suitable point where additional cables or wires areprovided for conducting the power from the truclrto other trucks, machinery, conveyors, and so on.

Our principal aim is to avoid the inconvenient method of supply current now in use, and to provide an economical power truck such as can be driven up and down the various entries and courses to convey the current in an eflicient manner,

Other features and advantages accent panying the invention will be more readily apparent from the following descriptiona'nd drawings.

In the drawings 7 p M 1* igure 1 1s .a top plan view of a power "supply truck constructed in'accoi'dance with the presentinvention. i W y ig. 2 i's'a side elevation of, the truck showing the same -located in one of the .bra-nch'ent'ries, and disposed in close proximity to'a communicating ,main entry.

F 3 is an enlarged fragmentary seetional and'elevational view showin on eend portion of the reel and power takeoff means. F ig. 4 is a diagrammatic view. showing portions of the calblock as they appearin the system of mining referred lto a t the outside of the description.

Fig. 5 is a View of one of the power takeoff brushes. M f

In carrying out the invention, we provide a threewheeled truck generally designated by the reference character 6." truck comprises a frame including spaced parallel sidebars Tdis'posed in close spaced relation to the surface, and a forward yoke portien 8 which is offset upwardly, and attached at its bight portion to a centrall y disposed guide wheel 9. Incidentally this: guide wheel is provided with a spindle having a worm wheel 10 at its top with which a worm, drive 11 is connected.

The element 11 is mounted on. a -rotatably supported steering shaft 12 having a hand wheel I Fastenedto the rear end portions of the side bars we finda pair of brackets 14;, in which the rear axle 15 is journaled for rotation.

Mounted on the end of the rear axle 1.5 are relatively large tractor wheels 16. These wheels are made suff ciently wide and provided with appropriate anti slipping ribs to insure good traction in the unsolid coal dust and dirt over which the trucks travel.

on thei'central portion ofthe truck is a just behind, the steering wheel 13. Qn the left hand side of the drivers seat iifiztl'citblnet containing a telephone, generally indicated by the reference character 19. On the opposite side is a controller box 20. Just back of the drivers seat is a small reel 21 upon which the telephone line 22 is wound.

An electric motor 23 serves to operate the telephone reel. Also supported on this platform is a relatively large electric motor 21 whose shaft is provided with a smallpinion 25 in mesh with a large gear 26 on the axle 15. This motor serves to propel the truck.

A third motor 27 is provided, this being equipped with a pinion 28, meshing with a gear 29, on the shaft of the power cable reel 30. Incidentally, the power cable is indicated by the reference character 81.

In connection with the latter attention is invited to Fig. 3 wherein it will be seen that a pair of insulating rings 32 are mounted upon the axle of the power reel, these being surrounded by metal bands 33 with which the split ends 34 of the power cableare connected respectively. Then as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, a pair of metallic brushes 35 are supported from an insulated bracket 36, and bear upon the metal bands 33 to takeoff power. Eachbrush is provided with a ring or its equivalent 37 with which supplemental power conducting wires and cables are re leasably connected.

It might be stated here that in mine work of this character, the electric wires are frequently formed with hooks, clamps, clips and the like, and such devices as could be easily attached to either one of the rings 37.

In order that a clear understanding of the advantages and operation of this invention might be had, we have illustrated portions of a mine in Figs. 2 and 4, for example in Fig. 1, there is shown an arrangement of blocks and entries such as characterizes a system of mining shown and described in our co-pending application Serial No. 203,- 011 of July 2, 1927. and also in Fig. 2, the reference character 38 designates a main entry or heading such as contains a trackway 39 and other appliances.

For instance in Fig. 2, a main power conducting cable is indicated by the reference.

character 40, and the aforesaid portable cable 31 is connected thereto in any appropriate manner. The cable 31 is grounded to the track 39 as indicated at 41. At 42 a telephone line is represented and the aforesaid telephone wire 22 is connected therewith.

Communicating with the main entry 38is a branch or auxiliary entry L3 extending at right angles alongside of the coal blocks as represented in Fig. 4c. lVith this arrangement, it is obvious that the trucks 6 can be turned-from the main entry in through the branch entry 43'and driven up this entrv to the face of the coal blOCk to be acted upon as shown in Fig. 4.

As shown in this figure.

As it is thus driven under its own power, the power supply cable as well as the telephone line both unwind, and are laid along the ground. h en the truck reaches the approximate point shown in Fig. 4, may be stopped and other trucks brought into use. For instance, on the left, we see another similar truck whose cable 31 is connected with one of the power take-off brushes 37 on the other truck in the entry or heading 43.

Power can be taken from thesecond 1na-' chine or truck 6 and conveyed through the wire 44 to a cutting machine 45 for example, or to some other machine or conveyor. As the truck retreats the power line can be reeled up and driven into the next heading and so on. Y

The advantages of a portable supply truck of this character are quite apparent to persons skilled in coal mining. The truck will save the cost of insulator pins, and labor of putting up wires at different places, and tearing them out a short time afterwards. It saves the loss of expensive copper w1re such as is usually cut into short lengths, and eventually leads to junk and waste.

The truck can be used for carrying power for a cutting machine on a three hundred foot face where the cutting machine is never loaded up and moved from place to place. This invention saves the wear on cables that are usually worn out by dragging over rough surfaces. The cable is always on the reel and in readiness for use and is never run over by other machinery tramming in mines.

As the foregoing advantages are quite apparent, a more lengthy description is thought unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size, and rearrangement of details, coming 'within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to if desired.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is: i

1. In a power supply apparatus for use in coal mine headings employed in a system of mining of the class described, a self propelled. wheeled truck constructed for movement in said heading, a rotary reel carried by said truck, a power take-oil" device associated with the reel and adapted to accommodate auxiliary current conducting lines leading to cutting machines, conveyors and the like, and a power supply cable wound on said reel, said power supply cable being suspended from and electrically connected with a main source of supplyin a main heading in a mine. v

2. A power supply truck for use in a system of coal mining of the class described, comprising a frame whose major portion is disposed in close proximity to the surface traversed, a guide wheel at the front of said f a stee i g mea s for a Wh el, a P

of traction Wheels for the rear end portion of said frame, a motor drive for said traction Wheels, a motor driven reel mounted on the rear end of said frame, and a power supply cable Wound on said reel, together with a platform on said frame, an operators seat mounted on the platform, a telephone, a'second reel mounted on said platform and a telephone line Wound on said natures.

WILLIAM H. COBURN. CHARLES KIERNAN. 

